Detoxing: what to do when suffering from anime burnout

So normally I watch anime by doing binges. I can watch two–sometimes three–different series in a day, shoveling shows into my mouth with alarming vigor and concentration.

No breaks; no water. Just anime.

For the most part, things go well like that. But there are days where I turn into this:

I’m practically brain dead and antsy. I find it difficult to focus on the plot or to empathize with the characters on a meaningful level. Today, I’ve decided to share some tips and tricks to beating anime burnout! I’ve divided them into on-screen and off screen activities for your convenience.

Off-screen:

By far, the quickest and easiest ways to detox is by engaging in activities that don’t involve a screen. You might be suffering from a general technology burnout, rather than one that’s isolated to anime, especially if your work involves a lot of screen-time.

Go outside.

Even if I don’t have the energy to really do anything. If it’s sunny, I sit in the sun; if it’s rainy, I sit on the porch and watch the rain. Being outside in the fresh air exposes you to new stimuli and your senses become enriched and heightened.

Exercise.

actual footage of me exercising

As much as I hate to admit it, fundamentally, our bodies need to move. I’ve never been on a heavy exercise regiment, nor do I think I could stick to one. But when I’m feeling stuck watching anime, I do some stretching or yoga. Other times, I will play my anime OP playlist and have a dance session by myself for a bit. This increases my serotonin levels and helps me feel more alert and focused.

Go somewhere.

Changing your environment makes a big difference in preventing stagnation and boredom. Just going into a different room for a half an our can be enough to make you feel renewed.

Cook a Meal.

Personally, I recommend trying to cook an anime-inspired meal. For example, I made katsudon every Wednesday when Yuri!!! on Ice was airing in winter 2016. I was able to consume content visually and via my taste buds!

On Screen:

Change your Genre.

This is what I try first. I go through stages of watching slice of life, action, romance, etc. More often than not, what I’m suffering from isn’t anime–but rather genre–burnout. By switching to something I don’t normally watch, I’m able to cultivate a pseudo-freshness.

Watch a Stream/YouTube series.

Playing video games is kind of a given, so I’m not going to put that in this list. What I will suggest is watching some Twitch streams. Specifically, there are a lot of Otaku content creators out there, my personal favorites being PokuriMio and Xell. Xell actually host Weeb Weekends, wherein he watches anime with chat. This is really great because you can talk to people about what’s going on in live time. It changes the experience and flavor.

Read Manga or Comics.

True Beauty is a meme-worthy favorite.

I started reading comics on Webtoon about a year ago because of an add on instagram for Let’s Play. The app’s free, easy to use and holds a lot of different genres and art styles.

What about you? How do you fight burnout? Let me know in the comments below!